The newly-appointed Chief Proctor of Banaras Hindu University Royana Singh says her priority will be the stationing of more security guards, particularly females, for the safety of girl students.
What is your plan for the security of girl students as the new Chief Proctor of BHU?
The security of girl students is our priority. It was our founder Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya’s dream to ensure safety and justice for students here. We want the campus to be a home away from home for girl students. For this, our vision is safe hostels and the presence of more guards, particularly women guards. The recruitment of women guards began under my predecessor but we plan to step up the process and recruit and station more female guards.
One hears of a women’s curfew after 8 pm there, meaning they cannot go out of their hostels after that. How do you look at this?
No, girls can come and go any time. However, they have to inform that they need to go out and also tell us where they are going. Their parents have sent them here with faith in us and this rule helps us ensure their safety better.
But do you think such a rule is good? And would you want to either relax the time or extend this rule even before 8 pm?
The 8 pm rule is good. Varanasi gets a bit secluded after that. It is not a big city like Delhi. Girls stay in the library, too, till late, once they have informed the warden. Guards are stationed near the library and often one guard is told to escort them to somewhere near their hostel.
It is said that girls are not provided non-vegetarian food in their hostels, while boys’ hostels serve non-vegetarian food. Why is it so?
Most girls in the hostels are vegetarian. They are uncomfortable with the idea of non-vegetarian food in the hostel and there have been such complaints. So, we have not kept it in the menu. But if a group of non-vegetarian girls tells the mess staff they want to eat it, it is arranged for them from outside.
We also hear that wi-fi facility was extended to the girls’ hostels very recently, while it has been there in boys’ hostels for longer…
No, it was there. But the wires got cut because of the construction of a boundary wall. Wi-fi facility has been brought back now.
Is it true that sexual harassment cases in BHU have been on the rise in recent times?
I am in charge of the women’s grievance cell. So, I can say it with certainty that under the present Vice-Chancellor such cases have come down.
Police was called into the campus and videos show girl students were lathi-charged by male policemen. How do you explain that? Do you think it was a case of excesses being committed on students, particularly girl students?
I was out of town and have just returned. I am not aware of the details and will have to find out.
